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n <br />committee reached their present position. He knew the Board is <br />familiar with the public hearing process where typically people who <br />are the most vociferous about the issues that are being discussed <br />show up. This proposed process is the reverse. The participants <br />will include these people who would show up at a public hearing and <br />that is good because that provides diversity of opinion. The <br />steering committee is trying to reach the elements of the community <br />that do not usually surface at public hearings. The community <br />college has agreed to co-sponsor a project to put together a <br />statistical model based on available county data to determine what <br />a workshop of 150 participants might be if it were truly <br />representative of the whole county citizenry and we will attempt to <br />use that as a guide in looking at applicants. The real answer to <br />a true representation requires the combined efforts of steering <br />committee members and members of the Commission and councils of the <br />various towns to seek out areas that may be under -represented to be <br />certain that those people sign up to be participants. The aim is <br />representation from all the different aspects. The process works <br />if people who honestly disagree sit down at a table and begin to <br />talk. <br />Chairman Eggert asked if her understanding was correct that <br />the participants would be chosen simply because they answered an <br />advertisement and received an invitation. <br />Mr. Wetzig felt we will have to seek out participants which is <br />why the steering committee is being urged to go to service clubs to <br />talk about this process. He also said he has directed the steering <br />committee members to consider a particular person they most <br />disagree with and that person is a potential participant, because <br />it is to everyone's benefit to have that diversity. The community <br />college will assist by putting together the questionnaire which <br />will be used to get some statistical profiles and validation to the <br />questions. The solicitation is handled one on one and as the names <br />come in we see whether those people fit the cross section that we <br />are looking for, but it is not an exact science. This activity <br />will be done by the steering committee with input from the <br />community college and assistance from the facilitator. <br />Discussion ensued regarding the questionnaire, solicitation, <br />promotion and determination of participants. In answer to a <br />question by Commissioner Scurlock, Mr. Wetzig stated that there is <br />a standard basic methodology in a questionnaire, but he emphasized <br />that the final questionnaire must reflect this community and that <br />is why liaison involvement from the Board of County Commissioners <br />is needed as the questionnaire develops. Demographics will do some <br />of it but there is no absolute method to obtain a perfect mix of <br />31 <br />P' <br />BOOK fN.GE PJ <br />